Letter: Government has too much 'arbitrary' power

Every school kid once learned the date A.D. 1215. It was the date that English King John signed the Magna Carta that said everyone, even kings and their ministers, are subject to the law. This principle, we were taught, is the foundation of our constitutional republic in which all citizens are free under the law and need not fear the whims of kings, bureaucrats, or random policemen and women. Only representatives of the people can make law, while the president and his administrative agencies can only enforce it, our teachers told us.

How do today's teachers explain the fact that Congress passed 65 laws last year while the administration imposed 3,659 "rules?" How do any of us justify the administration giving "waivers" to big business and big labor while at the same time bullying nuns into paying for other people's birth control and abortions? Why do we tolerate giving a few individuals so much arbitrary power over the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans?

Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson's lawsuit against this administration for granting special treatment under the law to congressmen and their staffs shows that at least one congressman understands the importance of distinguishing between government by law and government by politically powerful people. I wish they all did.

Art DeJong

Sheboygan

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Email this article

Letter: Government has too much 'arbitrary' power

Every school kid once learned the date A.D. 1215. It was the date that English King John signed the Magna Carta that said everyone, even kings and their ministers, are subject to the law.

A link to this page will be included in your message.

Join Our Team!

If you are interested in working for an innovative media company, you can learn more by visiting: